Poultry are kept all over the world for various reasons. They are one of the cheapest sources of meat and can be kept by anyone, even in backyards. In South Africa poultry are kept by large commercial farmers for meat or egg production, by smaller farmers and by house holds in backyards Two very important factors that should be addressed to ensure that you have a healthy flock of chickens are management and environment. When chickens are healthy they eat less food and produce more meat and eggs. They are less trouble to look after and less money is spent on medical costs. A disease can spread rapidly among chickens because they are usually kept together in a cage or chicken house. They also share the same food and waterbowls, which can spread disease and infections from sick to healthy chickens. In an intensive system we place a great deal of pressure on the chickens to grow fast and to lay many eggs. This situation can cause disease to spread resulting in a lot of damage because of the stress the chickens experience
Related Journals of Poultry Diseases:
Fisheries Management and Ecology, Fisheries Oceanography, Hydrobiologia
